Live updates: Trump lands in Israel as transfer of hostages begins
What we know
- TRUMP TO ISRAEL: President Donald Trump is about to address Israel's Knesset, or Parliament, before joining a Middle East peace summit in Egypt.
- HOSTAGES TRANSFERRED: More hostages have been transferred into the custody of the Red Cross in Gaza before heading to Israel, witnesses have told NBC News. Earlier, seven hostages returned to Israel.
- TO BE RELEASED: A total of 48 hostages, 20 of whom are believed to be alive, are expected to be transferred today as part of the first phase of a peace deal between Israel and Hamas.
- PALESTINIAN PRISONERS: Hamas has pledged to release the hostages by today in exchange for 250 prisoners serving life sentences and more than 1,700 Palestinians detained after the group’s Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel.
- WORLD LEADERS GATHER: Aside from Trump, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney are among 20 heads of state attending today’s summit in Egypt. Israeli and Hamas officials are not attending.
- SCALE OF WAR: More than 67,000 people have been killed in Israel’s offensive on Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Large swaths of the enclave have been destroyed, and famine has been declared in part of northern Gaza. Around 1,200 people were killed and about 250 were taken hostage in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
Military band tune in to hostage release before Trump welcome
Members of an Israeli military band listen to a live broadcast showing the first group of hostages being released from captivity in Gaza, ahead of a welcoming ceremony for President Trump at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv this morning.
Some students skip school to watch West Bank prisoner release
Reporting from Beitunia, Occupied West Bank
Fearing additional IDF checkpoints that could add hours to daily commutes, some schools in the West Bank are online-only today.
Some students are skipping school altogether to watch prisoners being released from Ofer Prison.
Several teenage boys with their faces covered threw stones every time an IDF vehicle drove by, and in response, the IDF fired tear gas.
Over 170 aid trucks entered Gaza yesterday, Hamas says
An aid convoy of 173 aid trucks carrying essential food and medical supplies entered the Gaza Strip yesterday, Hamas’ media office said today.
The convoy included three cooking gas and six diesel fuel trucks designated for operating bakeries, generators and hospitals, it said.
The quantities that have entered are still “very limited,” it said, adding that it was just a “drop in the ocean of needs.”
Entry of aid is expected to be dramatically ramped up as part of Trump’s 20-point peace plan, after Israel blocked most of it entering the enclave.
Trump arrives at Israel's Knesset, marking 'a new beginning'
Trump has arrived at Israel's Knesset, or parliament, where he is expected to address lawmakers shortly.
Signing a book upon his arrival, Trump wrote, "this is my great honor."
"A great and beautiful day," he wrote, adding: "A new beginning."
More hostages handed over to Red Cross
More hostages have been transferred into the custody of the Red Cross in Gaza before heading to Israel, five witnesses have told NBC News.
It was not known how many hostages were handed over in Khan Younis and Deir Al Balah. This follows the transfer of seven hostages earlier today.
Model of Hamas tunnels at Hostage Square
Reporting from Tel Aviv, Israel
A papier-mâché and cement model of one of the tunnels has been set up at the Hostage Square, aimed to give visitors a sense of what it might be like inside the tunnels in Gaza where the hostages would have been held.
Cheers erupted from the crowd as images of the first hostages being released appeared on a big screen along with interviews of the hostages’ mothers and other family members.
There are also empty tables to receive the hostages when they come back at the square, a public plaza in front of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art that has become both a memorial to those who were taken on Oct. 7, 2023 and a place for Israelis and families of hostages to gather and express their anguish, joy and anger.
Cleanup efforts in Gaza to start 'pretty much immediately,' Trump says
Much of Gaza has been “blasted” and resembles a “demolition site,” Trump said onboard Air Force One today as he headed to Israel.
Asked whether he plans to move forward with his plans to turn Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East,” Trump said, “I don’t know about the Riviera for a while because you take a look at what you have. You have to get people taken care of first.”
Trump said the process of clearing destroyed buildings and rubble in Gaza would “start, really, essentially immediately.”
“I mean, they’re going to have to start by removing a lot of the structures that you see that are down to the ground. I mean, it’s a very, it’s blasted,” he said. “This is like a demolition site.”
Growing crowd in Tel Aviv's Hostage Square
Reporting from Tel Aviv
Crowd estimates in Hostage Square in Tel Aviv are about 65,000 to 100,000 but growing as people keep pouring in.
There were loud cheers this morning as images of the first hostages being released appeared on a big screen along with interviews of the hostages’ mothers and other family members. The square went silent to hear their relief as they saw images of their loved ones alive.
People in Hostage Square, where Trump’s arrival was broadcast, said “Thank you, President Trump” as he was greeted by Netanyahu at Ben Gurion Airport.
Hostages arrive at first reception point inside Israel, IDF says
The Israeli military says that the first seven hostages have arrived at their “initial reception point” within Israeli territory.
The hostages will be accompanied by personnel from the Israel Defense Forces’ Manpower Directorate and IDF medical teams, the IDF said. The freed captives “will undergo an initial medical evaluation, and will reunite with their families at the initial reception point in southern Israel.”
In addition, the IDF will accompany “all family members who are waiting at the hospital and continue to provide them with ongoing updates,” it said.
'Everybody is happy,' Trump says on Air Force One
Trump said he thinks “everybody is happy” with his 20-point peace plan, saying “every country” was “dancing in the streets” amid the ceasefire in Gaza.
Asked on Air Force One what he made of Israelis at a rally over the weekend who appeared to cheer and boo Netanyahu, Trump said: “I don’t know, but we’re gonna make everybody happy.”
“The one thing I can tell you is everybody is happy, whether it’s Jewish or Muslim or the Arab countries,” he said.
Gaza hospital prepares for returning Palestinian detainees and prisoners
The Ministry of Health released photos of preparations for released prisoners after their arrival at Nasser Medical Complex. The pictures showed bare cots and medical staff members apparently organizing medical supplies.
Israel said it was releasing 250 prisoners with life sentences or long sentences and 1,718 people who have been detained in Gaza since the start of the war.
Egypt and Israel to award Trump their highest civilian honors
In the coming months, Israeli President Isaac Herzog will present Trump with the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor, the country’s highest civilian honor, for his role in “achieving a historic agreement advancing the release of the hostages and the end to the war.”
"Through his tireless efforts, President Trump has not only helped bring our loved ones home but has also laid the foundations for a new era in the Middle East built on security, cooperation, and genuine hope for a peaceful future,” Herzog said in a statement issued by the foreign ministry.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi will also present Trump with the Nile Necklace, also known as the Order of the Nile — the country’s highest state honor — for his “pivotal role in halting the war in Gaza,” the Egyptian Presidency said in a statement on Facebook today.
Red Cross is on its way to retrieve more hostages, IDF says
According to the Israel military, the Red Cross is on its way to an additional meeting point in southern Gaza, where several more hostages will be returned.
Israel's top leadership greets Trump
Trump was met with a warm welcome from Israel’s top leadership, including Herzog and Netanyahu, as he disembarked from Air Force One at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport.
Trump smiled as he shook hands with his Israeli counterparts and greeted their wives, Michal Herzog and Sara Netanyahu.
Israeli drone drops leaflets in West Bank warning against 'support to the terrorists'
Reporting from Beitunia, Occupied West Bank
An Israeli drone flew over Beitunia in the occupied West Bank, dropping leaflets.
One of them read: “We are watching you everywhere. If you show any support to the terrorists you will be arrested and severely punished.”
Another kind of leaflet warned that Israel would “use a fist of iron.”
Witkoff to NBC News: 'I wondered if I would ever see this day'
One of the key people behind the deal, Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, told NBC News he “wondered if I would ever see this day” as the first hostages were released.
“It’s deeply gratifying to know that so many families will finally have their loved ones home,” he said. “Today, 20 families are spared the unbearable pain of not knowing if they will ever see their loved ones again.”
But he added that “even in this moment of relief and happiness, my heart aches for those whose loved ones will not return alive. Bringing their bodies home is a must and an act of dignity and honors their memory forever.”
He said, “I can’t help but feel the presence of my son Andrew at this moment” — Andrew Witkoff died of an opioid overdose in 2011. “I am profoundly grateful for the indomitable spirit of President Trump. This day would not have been possible without him.”
'A moment like the moon landing,' U.S. ambassador to Israel says
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said it was “surreal to be here” as the first group of hostages was released this morning.
“It’s a moment like the moon landing where time freezes as we watch this historic moment,” he said on X.
Netanyahu waits to welcome Trump as red carpet is rolled out
Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog waited to welcome Trump to Israel at Ben Gurion Airport as Air Force One taxied along the tarmac.
A red carpet was also rolled out for Trump, with his daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner already in Israel and awaiting his arrival.
'Our struggle is not over,' hostage advocacy group says
The first seven hostages to be freed are returning to their families “after 738 agonizing days in captivity,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement.
The group said the seven hostages — identified as Omri Miran, Matan Angrest, Ziv Berman, Gali Berman, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, Alon Ohel and Eitan Mor — are returning “to the embrace of their families who worked tirelessly for their release, to their friends, and to an entire nation that believed and fought for this day to come.”
“Our struggle is not over,” the statement continued. “It will not end until the last hostage is located and returned for proper burial. This is our moral obligation. Only then will the people of Israel be whole.”
Release of Palestinian prisoners could take hours
Reporting from Beitunia, occupied West Bank
Ofer Prison is the largest prison in the occupied West Bank, and from here, up to 2,000 detainees will be released in buses as part of the exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.
The release could stretch well into the night, as it has in the past. Among them are 250 security prisoners, or convicted murderers who are serving multiple life sentences. Some of them will be deported to third countries, while some will be sent to Gaza.
But also among the prisoners scheduled for release are doctors and journalists, who have never been charged and have been held under what Israel calls administrative detention. These people are in prison without knowing why.
For example, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, a pediatrician, was arrested in December as he was overseeing Kamal Adwan Hospital and has not been seen since. In the eyes of many Palestinians, those people held without charge are also hostages held by Israel.
Air Force One lands in Israel
President Donald Trump has just landed in Israel on Air Force One, where he's expected to make a whirlwind visit before joining a Middle East peace summit in Egypt.
Trump is expected to address members of the Knesset during the short stop. It was not clear whether he would be meeting with any of the families of hostages expected to be released by Hamas in the coming hours.
First seven returned hostages are back in Israel
The first seven hostages to be released have just crossed the border from Gaza into Israeli territory, the Israel Defense Forces and Israel Security Agency said in a joint statement.
The hostages have been identified as Eitan Mor, Alon Ohel, Ziv Berman, Gali Berman, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, Omri Miran and Matan Angrest.
“They are currently on their way to the initial reception point in southern Israel, where they will reunite with their families,” the IDF and ISA said.
Hostage Square erupts in applause
Reporting from Tel Aviv, Israel
It’s hard to describe the euphoria here in Hostage Square, everybody keeps breaking out into applause and yelling. A huge monitor has been set up in front of everybody, showing pictures of some of the hostages.
Ever since the war began on Oct. 7, 2023, with a Hamas-led terrorist attack on Israel that included the abduction of 251 people, there has been a clock at Hostage Square. At the moment it’s obscured by Israeli flags, but it’s still ticking and won’t stop until all 48 remaining hostages have been released.
Crowds cheered as the Israeli military announced that it had taken custody of seven hostages who were making their way to Israel. The screen then moved to show live pictures from Gaza, where Hamas fighters held a much more muted ceremony than previous ones where the hostages were paraded around, drawing rebuke from Israel.
First 7 returned hostages are identified
The first seven hostages to be released are Eitan Mor, Gali and Ziv Berman, Matan Angrest, Omri Miran, Guy Gilboa-Dalal and Alon Ohel, a representative of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum told NBC News in a phone call.
Their names were also confirmed by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.
7 returned hostages are in the custody of Israeli forces
The seven hostages who have been released so far are now making their way to Israeli territory, where they will undergo an initial medical assessment.
The hostages met with personnel from the Israel Defense Forces and Israel Security Agency after being released to the Red Cross in Gaza, the IDF and ISA said in a joint statement.
“The commanders and soldiers of the IDF salute and embrace the returning hostages as they make their way home to the State of Israel,” they said.
Hostages will need long-term medical and psychological care, group says
The health team for the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said the people expected to be released from Hamas captivity will need medical care, but also “the restoration of their identity as people.”
It stressed that the full scope of the hostage’s injuries is not yet known, but that they and their families — as well as the families of the deceased hostages — “require long-term medical, psychological, and social rehabilitation.”
“This process does not end with release — it begins with it,” the team said.
Egypt prepares for ceremony but what next hangs over proceedings
Reporting from Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt
Hurried security checks and international flags punctuated the early morning at an aging conference center where Trump will meet with world leaders later today.
Some 20 presidents, prime ministers and kings have been told they will be welcomed by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi, and then by Trump. The heart of the event is a signing ceremony with the U.S., Egypt, Qatar and Turkey.
European governments tell NBC News it’s not clear whether other leaders will speak.
The leaders who are attending have been asked for pledges for Gaza reconstruction. But how the next phases of Trump’s peace plan will be achieved is uncertain.
Removing Hamas from the political process, setting up “temporary transitional governance” for the Gaza Strip and rebuilding — this all presents huge challenges for the leaders who are gathering here in Egypt. And notably, neither Hamas nor Israel will send representatives.
List of Palestinian prisoners to be released is missing a notable name
Reporting from Beitunia, occupied West Bank
The Palestinian Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs has released the official list of Palestinian prisoners being released as part of the ceasefire deal, including 250 prisoners with life sentences or long sentences and 1,718 people who have been detained in Gaza since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
Those in the latter group were being held under administrative detention, a controversial practice that allows Israel to detain people without charge for an indefinite period of time.
A notable absence: Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, a prominent pediatrician and director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza.
The Israeli military detained Safiya in December after his hospital came under attack. International organizations have long asked for his release and have expressed concern over his worsening conditions.
7 hostages have been transferred, Israel says
Seven hostages have been transferred and are on their way to Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces and the Israel Security Agency said in a joint statement that cited the Red Cross, which is retrieving the hostages.
The IDF also said it was prepared to receive additional hostages who are expected to be transferred to the Red Cross later in the day.
Beach artwork outside U.S. Consulate thanks Trump in Tel Aviv
A large mural close to the U.S. Consulate in Tel Aviv depicts Trump this morning, thanking him on the day hostages are expected to be returned from captivity in Gaza.
Video shows Red Cross convoy traveling through Gaza
Video from Al Jazeera showed a convoy of white SUVs with the Red Cross emblems and flags traveling through the rubble-strewn roads of Gaza.
It was not known whether they were retrieving hostages or had already picked them up.
Crowd gathers outside key Gaza hospital ahead of hostage release
A crowd, some of whom appeared to be gunmen, gathered outside Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza's Khan Younis, according to video from the scene.
They were surrounded by the health ministry’s vans and overlooking them were laid out over a hundred empty chairs, seemingly civilians.
Shortly after, another group of gunmen, without any face coverings, arrived at the site, stomped their feet, and stood in a grid formation.
Nasser Hospital is widely expected to be a point of contact between Hamas and the Red Cross, which is retrieving hostages.
In an adjacent area, hundreds of chairs have been set up in rows.
Returning hostages will get personal note from Netanyahu and wife
Returning hostages will receive a welcome kit that includes a personal note from Netanyahu and his wife, Sara Netanyahu.
“On behalf of the entire people of Israel, welcome back!” the note reads, according to Netanyahu’s office. “We’ve been waiting for you, embracing you. Sara and Benjamin Netanyahu.”
The kits, which were prepared by the Hostages Directorate in the prime minister’s office, also include clothing and personal items, a laptop, a mobile phone and a tablet.
Deadly clash reported in Gaza after Israeli forces withdraw
At least one person was killed in a clash between Hamas security forces and Palestinian gunmen overnight in Gaza, according to local health officials.
Saleh al-Jafarawi, a prominent Palestinian social media activist, was killed during the violence, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. His death came after the Gaza Interior Ministry said yesterday that "criminal gangs" had attacked private property and stolen humanitarian aid.
The total number of casualties in the shootout is unclear. The ministry said gang members who were not involved in bloodshed could be pardoned if they surrendered in time.
The Red Cross says the 'operation has started'
The Red Cross confirmed to NBC News it had begun the process of retrieving hostages from Gaza.
"We can confirm the operation has started," a spokesman said in an email.
Red Cross is on its way to receive 'several hostages,' Israeli military says
The Red Cross is on its way to a meeting point in the northern Gaza Strip where several hostages will be transferred into its custody, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.
The IDF also said it was prepared to receive additional hostages who are expected to be transferred to the Red Cross later in the day.
PHOTOS: Israelis roll out the red carpet for Trump
Airport staffers prepare the red carpet ahead of Trump’s arrival at Ben Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv this morning.
Early morning scene outside West Bank prison ahead of release
Israeli military vehicles take position at the Ofer military prison between Ramallah and Beitunia in the occupied West Bank this morning ahead of the release of Palestinian prisoners and detainees in exchange for hostages held in Gaza.
Hamas releases list of the 20 living hostages to be freed
Hamas' military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, has just released the names of the 20 living hostages who are due for release.
They are: Alon Ohel, Ariel Cunio and David Cunio, Avinatan Or, Bar Kupershtein, Eitan Horn, Eitan Mor, Gali Berman and Ziv Berman, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, Elkana Bohbot, Evyatar David, Matan Angrest, Matan Zangauker, Maxim Herkin, Nimrod Cohen, Omri Miran, Rom Braslavski, Segev Kalfon and Yosef-Haim Ohana.
The names match the list of hostages who were believed to be alive in Gaza. Others, about two dozen more, are believed to have died.
Relatives of Palestinian prisoners, detainees gather ahead of their release
Reporting from Beitunia, occupied West Bank
Loved ones of the Palestinian prisoners to be released as part of the ceasefire deal have started trickling into the West Bank city of Beitunia.
Possibly anticipating more checkpoints throughout the West Bank and longer journeys, they started arriving at dawn this morning. Just as it has in previous ceasefires, the Israel Defense Forces has warned people not to celebrate their loved ones’ release — a warning that has often been ignored.
The International Red Cross buses have now arrived at Ofer prison and will be transporting around 100 prisoners into the West Bank. Some of them have been in prison since the 1990s and are serving multiple life sentences.
The more than 1,700 detainees from Gaza to be released were captured in Gaza after the attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, and have not been charged. Among them are some women and children, doctors, nurses and journalists.
Here are the world leaders attending today’s peace summit in Egypt
Trump, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney are among the numerous heads of state attending today’s peace summit in Egypt.
Egypt said the following leaders will also be joining:
Iran declines invitation to Egypt peace summit, citing tensions with Israel
Iran has declined to attend a summit in Egypt marking the first phase of the Israel-Hamas peace deal, citing its recent conflict with Israel.
While Tehran is “grateful” for the invitation to the summit today in the resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, “neither President Pezeshkian nor I can engage with counterparts who have attacked the Iranian People and continue to threaten and sanction us,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X.
Araghchi said that Iran, which fought a 12-day war with Israel in June, continues to favor diplomatic engagement and that it welcomes any initiative to end the Israel-Hamas war.
“Palestinians are fully entitled to secure their fundamental right of self-determination, and all States remain obliged, more than ever, to assist them in their lawful & legitimate cause,” he said.
Trump to meet with families of hostages, address Knesset before peace summit in Egypt
Reporting from Jerusalem
Trump is on his way to Israel for a brief but robust trip to the Middle East after Hamas pledged to release Israeli hostages.
After he lands in Tel Aviv, Trump is scheduled to meet with the families of hostages in Jerusalem, where he's expected to be greeted by signs of appreciation and support for the peace deal and the United States.
Trump will address the Knesset tomorrow before he heads to Egypt for a Middle East peace summit. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron are expected to attend the summit and could also be joined by representatives from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Jordan.
In all, Trump will spend about 7½ hours in Israel and Egypt before he returns to the United States.
Hostage release could begin at 8 a.m. local time, Israeli media report
The hostage release in Gaza is expected to begin as early as 8 a.m. local time (1 a.m. ET), according to Israeli media.
It is currently about 6:41 a.m. in Israel.
The newspaper Haaretz reported that hostage families had been told their loved ones would be released starting at 8 a.m. According to The Jerusalem Post, the Israeli military expects hostages to return to Israeli custody starting around 9 a.m. from three locations in Gaza: Gaza City, central Gaza and Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
Israel believes about 20 of the 48 hostages are still alive.
Crowd awaits news in Israel's Hostage Square
People gathered early Monday in Hostage Square in Tel Aviv. Some slept as they waited for a livestream of the hostage releases to start.
Gaza municipality: Israel destroyed more than 500 miles of roads
Israel has destroyed “approximately 810 kilometers of roads” — or about 500 miles — in Gaza, the enclave’s municipality said.
The damage has caused “severe movement difficulties” and is “preventing residents from returning to their neighborhoods,” the municipality posted on X.
Crews are working to clear roads and reopen Al-Nasr Street in western Gaza City “despite the severe lack of resources and the destruction of about 85% of the Municipality’s service vehicles,” it said.
The municipality called on the international community to “intervene urgently and assist in providing heavy machinery and essential equipment needed to remove debris.”
Father eagerly awaits reunion with remaining son held in Gaza: ‘I will hug him tight’
Reporting from Tel Aviv
Eitan and Yair Horn, Argentine-Israeli brothers, were kidnapped from kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7, 2023.
Their father, Itzik Horn, welcomed Yair back from captivity in February during the last ceasefire in Gaza. Now, he is anxiously awaiting Eitan’s release, expected to happen in the coming hours.
“I feel like it’s really going to happen because we have been burned — let’s call it that — for so many times,” Itzik Horn said.
This time, he told NBC News, “there is someone who is serious behind all of this process — there is President Trump.”
“This is what gave me a little bit more trust than other times,” he added.
But, Horn said, the reunion won’t feel real until he embraces his son.
“I will tell Eitan the same thing I told Yair — the first thing I will tell him is that he went too far with the diet,” he said.
Imagining his reunion with Eitan, Horn said: “I will hug him tight, tight. I guess I will cry. I will remind him how much I love him.”
Critical aid and hot meals brought into Gaza, U.N. office says
Critical aid, including food, medicine and shelter, was brought into Gaza today in a "humanitarian scale-up," the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said.
“For the first time since March, cooking gas entered the Strip. More tents for displaced families, frozen meat, fresh fruit, flour and medicines also crossed into Gaza throughout the day,” the office said. The U.N. and its partners have also distributed hundreds of thousands of hot meals and bread bundles in the south and the north, it said.
Medical and emergency supplies are also pre-positioned now that access restrictions have been loosened.
Israel has also approved the U.N.’s bringing in 190,000 metric tons of aid, including food, shelter items, medicine and other supplies, the office said.
“This is just the beginning. As part of our plan for the first 60 days of the ceasefire, the UN and our partners will expand the scale and scope of our operations to deliver life-saving aid and services to virtually everyone across Gaza,” it said.
Trump insists the ‘war is over’ after Netanyahu says ‘the campaign is not over’
Trump insisted to reporters that the war in Gaza is over, despite Netanyahu’s suggesting the opposite in remarks earlier today.
“The war is over. The war is over. The war is over, OK? You understand that?” Trump said when he was asked about Netanyahu’s comments on Air Force One.
Netanyahu said in televised remarks that “the campaign is not over.”
“There are still very big security challenges ahead of us. Some of our enemies are trying to recover in order to attack us again,” he said.
Hamas leader claims Israel is ‘manipulating the lists of prisoners’
Hamas leader Ghazi Hamad says Israeli is “manipulating the lists of prisoners” just hours before the hostage and prisoner exchange is due to take place.
Hamas has “completed the necessary arrangements” to hand over the hostages, but Israel “is stalling,” Hamad told Al Jazeera earlier today, before he called for “strict oversight” of Israel and “international pressure.”
“The coming hours will reveal the extent of the occupation’s commitment to the agreement,” he said about Israel. “And then we will determine our responses.”
How the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal came together
Trump’s personal touch — both as a heavy hand and a gentle guide — played a pivotal role at key moments in the development of a Middle East peace deal that promises to bring an end to Israel’s two-year war in Gaza, current and former officials in the United States and other nations told NBC News.
Trump announced Wednesday that the “first phase” of the plan to end the conflict in Gaza had been agreed to, with a pause in fighting and the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.
Trump called it “a great deal” in a brief interview with NBC News on Thursday morning. “Everybody is happy,” he said.
The deal accelerated over several crucial moments — Israel’s strike on Qatar, discussions on the sidelines of the recent United Nations General Assembly in New York City and Jared Kushner’s conversations with his father-in-law, these sources said.
Also helpful, though, was an old-fashioned deadline.
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